Method of striking voltaic arcs.



A. J. PETERSSON.

METHOD 0 STRIKING VOLTAIG ARCS.

PPPP I0 .TIOH FILED 10V 3, 1905.

905,572. Patented Dec. 1, 1908.

A. J. PETERSS METHOD OF STRIKING v0 FILED N LTAIG ARCS.

ov. a, 1905.

Patented Dec. 1, 1908,

- and social PATENT OFFICE.

ALBERT JOHAN PETEBSSON, OF ALBY, SWEDEN.

union or sumac vonrucmcs.

' Specification of Letters rittnt.

- Patented boo. 1, icon.

Anlkfln and number a, mo. lellal- Io. nun.

To all whom it may.

Bo itkno'wn that I, Aimnn'r Jonas Porno son, asubj'oct of the Kin of Sweden, and resi dent of Alhy, Sweden, afe invented new Improvements in- Methods oi. Striking Voltaic Arcs, of which the following isa specification, reference being had to the dram-rig accompanying and forming a part hereof.

This invention relates to. a method of striking voltaic area between electrodes at arbitrary distance from each other, especially adapted for use when treating gases or gas-mixtures by means of such arcs.

When gases or gas-mixtures for effecting chemical reactions in the same are treated by voltaic arcs created by electric currents of high voltage and moved through the mass of gas the influence of magnetic fields created y magnets or electric currents, it is genera ly necessary for striking the area to arrange the electrodes at a very short distance from each other at the place where the arcs are to be struck, owing to the fact that the mass of gas offers an essentially greater resistance before the striking of the are than after the current has commenced to pass through the same. In fact the striking of the arc acts in such a device practically as a short-circuit which does not cease until the I are increases its length, when moving away working current especia ly in the moment of striking, and the said power factor increases first according as the resistance of the arc is increased by the extension of the latter, so that the average value of the same will be comparatively low.

In order to obviate the said inconvenience and to obtain a more favorable power factor it is therefore necessary to obviate as far as possible the use of arcs having a small initial resistance. This is the object of the present invention according to which it is possible to consume the essential part of the working current in voltaic arcs between electrodes which along their whole length are at a comparatively great distance from each other,

the ares between the said electrodes being struck by ares created by suitable means be tween special electrodes and moved to the first-mentioned electrodes. The initiating 0f the msyt for instance, be accom lished other at a certain that the striking of 15116 816 8t tlld H d may be aeconi= plished by the" existing" voltafi or a voltage which may be conveniently t supply circuit, whereupon the are is moved to the first mentioned electrodes and there closes the circuit between the same.

The present invention thus, principally, consists 1n striking voltaic arcs between the electrodes of one circuit by means of other arcs created between electrodes of another circuit and moved by magnetic or electrodynamic' influence to the first-mentioned electrodes. By this method of striking the arcs it is ossible to have a great minimum distance tween the electrodes between which the arcs are struck by means of other arcs, whereby the power factor of the circuit or circuits of the said electrodes may be made favorable. Another advantage is that -a number of arcs may be obtained simultaneously in one and the same furnace, inasmuch as each pair of electrodes may contain one are whereby the furnace space may be better utilized than is the case when only one pair 7 of electrodes is provided.

I In the accompanying drawing I have shown diagrammatically some examples of devices for carryin out the method. I Figure 1 shows a vertical section and 2 a horizontal section on line II--II in Fig. 1 of a furnace constructed in accordance with my present invention. Figs. 3- and 4- are diagrams showing the variations of the resistance in the arcs according to the old and new methods. Fig. 5 is a vertical section I and Fig. 6 a horizontal section on line VI- VI in Fig. 5 of a second form of the invention. Fig. 7 shows in vertical section and Fi s. 8 and 9 in VIII and IXIX respectively in Fig. 7 a third constructional form. Fig. 10 shows a vertical section and Fig. 11 a horizontal section on line XI-=XI in Fig. 10 of a fourth constructional form.

horizontal sections on lines VI I by of electrodes placed so closc'to each ained in the In the constructional form shown in El 1 and 2 is used a air of electrodes 1 an 2 which are arrange in the usual manner in a furnace A having an inlet C for the gases to be treated and an outlet Die! the treated gases,

and between which electrodes the voltaic arcs are struck, the electrodes at the points are placed close to each other, and the same from the said point diverge upwards. Somewhat below the upper ends of the said electrodes are provided the lower ends of another pair of electrodes 3 and 4, the said ends of the latter being flattened or enlarged in order that an are driven upwards between the electrodes 1 and 2 may with certainty be moved over to the electrodes 3 and 4. 'I he minimum distance between the latter is comparatively great so that the resistance in an are driven upwards between the same will be rather constant. Somewhat below the upper ends of the electrodes 3 and 4 and between the same are placed the lower ends of a third pair of electrodes 3 and 4. 'lhe electrodes 1, 3, 5 and 2, 4, 6 respectively are connected in parallel to each pole of a suitable source of alternating electric current B of high voltage. Each electrode is also in well known manner inserted in a closed circuit with the secondary winding of transformers 7, 8, 9, 10, 11 and 12 respectively, the prnnary wlndmgs of Wl'llOh are connected to the working-circuits ofthe respective pairs of electrodes.

The working of an apparatus as shown in Figs. 1 and 2 may be considered to be as follows: When the difference of'potential between the electrodes 1 and 2 has become sufficiently great to cause the striking of an are between the parts of the electrodes located nearest to each other and an arc has struck between them, the said are will be driven u wards by the electrodynamic action of t 1e working-current as well as and especially by the currents induced by the said transformers in the circuits of electrodes closed through the transformers 7 and 8. As soon as the said are arrives to the lower ends of the electrodes 3 and 4 the working current of the latter will be closed, whereupon the central part of the arc will continue uplwards between the electrodes 3 and 4,, w

ile arcs will'remain between the electrodes 1, 3-and 2, 4 respectively and kee the circuit of the electrodes 1 and 2 close through the electrodes 3 and 4 and the are therebetween. This will continue until the are between the electrodes 3 and 4 has been eX-' tended so much and the total resistance in the circuit of the electrodes 1 and 2 has been increased to such an amount that the discharge-potential has been reached at the shortest distance between the said electrodes.

A new are is now struck between the latter and acts as short-circuit for the arcs between the electrodes 1, 3 and 2, 4 respectively, whereby the said arcs will be extinguished, while the are between the electrodes 3 and remains, in as much as the latter are also directly connected to the source of current B. The last mentioned are will contlnue upwards between the electrodes 3 and ends of the electrodes 5 and 6 and closes the circuit of the latter, arcs remaining between the electrodes 3, 5 and 4, 6 respectively, either until the are between the electrodes 5 and 6 has been extended so much that the resistance in the circuit of the electrodes 3 and 4 through the electrodes '5 and 6 and the are of the same has become so great that the circuit of electrodes 3 and 4 will be broken, or until the next are between the electrodes 3 and 4 is struck and closes the circuit of the same on a shorter way. In as much as the arc can remain even if the current changes its direction, it will be understood that a number of arcs may simultaneously be maintained in the furnace and thereb an increased effect on the mass of gas Will be obtained com )ared with the case where only one pair of electrodes is used and consequently only one are can be maintained between the electrodes.

The variations of the resistance are diagrammatically illustrated in Figs. 3 and 4. 11 big. 3 are as an example shown the variations of the resistance in the circuit of the electrodes 1 and 2 with three successive arcs. The resistance is represented by the ordinates of the broken line a-f which shows that the resistance at the striking of each are practically is reduced to null and is thereupon increased successively to a maximum value at which the arc is extinguished by the striking of a new are. The variations of the resistance at the pair of electrodes 3 and 4 or 5 and 6 are represented by the ordinates of the broken line g-'m, Fig. 4, the said resistance being much more uniform than in the circuit of the electrodes 1 and 2, whereb it will be possible to obtain a more favorab e value of the power factor of the circuits of the electrodes 3, 4 and 5, 6 than in the casein which the resistance is reduced to null in each striking of an are. In order to revent the arcs from influencing each other 1n a dis-. turbing manner it is necessary to provide in each circuit of the electrodes a certain selfinduction which in the apparatus shown in Fig. 1, is effected by the transformers 7, 8, and 9, 10, and 11, 12 respectively. The said selfinduction causes, as will be easily understood, an essential decrease of the power factor of the circuit if the ohmic resistance of the same is small, which, however, is not the case with the circuits of the electrodes 3, 4 and 5, 6 respectively. In order that the circuit of the electrodes 1 and 2, which under all circumstances will have a comparatively low ower factor, may have the smallest possi le influence on the power factor of the source of power B the sa1d circuit is, referably, arranged for the smallest possib e consumption of energy.

The constructional form shown in Figs. 5 and 6 differs from that shown in Figs. 1 and 2 substantially in that an electromagnet E is used for displacing the arcs. In as much as the electrodes-.1 and 2 are arra lower end of the furnace, so that t are can be driven only upwards, it is necessary to use either direct current for supplying the magnet as well as for creating the arc, or, if alternating current be used for the latter, it is necessary to supply the magnet with an alternating current s chronous therewith. Obviously it is ossib e to use direct current for supplying t e magnet and altematin current for the circuits of the electrodes,

the electrodes 1 and 2 be placed in the middle of the magnetic field and the other electrodes both u wardly and downwardly.

In t e furnace shown in Figs. 7-9 isin wellknown manner used a centralelectrode y 13. Eventually is closed, and so on. The working is us eventual ares.

successive sections 14, 16

13 and around the same a spiral-shaped conductor divided in sections 14, 16, 17 extending beyond each other. The arcs are struckbetween the lowermost section 14 of the said spiral-shaped conductor anda conductor 15 extending from the central electrode 13 and are thereupon driven u wards along a screwsurface between the e ectrode 13 and the and 17 each of which may by a suitable self-induction coil F or the like be connected to the one pole of a common source of current B the other pole of which is connected to the central electrode transformer-devices, such as shown in Fig. 1, or other corres on devices of any well'known or suita le kin may be used for obtaining a strengthened dri action on the arcs.

In t e constructional form shown in Figs. 10 and 11 is used a number of electrodes arranged in pairs the one above the other, and the electrodes in each are arr in line with each other, the pairs 0 electrodes being-placed in a plane at right angles to a magnetic flux created by an electromagnet E excited by means of a continuous current source G. The electrodes 18 and 19, between which the. arcs are initiated, are arranged at a short distance from each other. The arcs struck betweenthe same are driven either upwards or downwards depending onthe direction of the current and are extended until they arrive into contactrwith the next pair of electrodes 20, 21 or 22, 23 and close the circuit of the same, whereupon the arc'from the same will con f us until the first mentloned arcs are ex .andthe circuit of the next pair of electrodes 24, 25'or 26 27 analogous with that described with reference toFigs. 1 and2. Inallthecircuitsare,as inthe forms described above, provided suit able reactance coils Fin order to prevent the "t m ha a ifr b cu m a t ii dmmarfiu. Thesuo-' inthe of electric discharges, which influence on cessive develo ment of the arcs is in Fig." 10 indicated by dotted curved lines.

Instead of a single source of current for all the circuits of the electrodes one may, of course, use separate sources of current for each or two or more of the said circuits. Any number of pairs of electrodes and circuits may "obviously be used. Eventually the several pairs of electrodes may be supplied with-currents of different phase. For instance, the pair of electrodes 20, 21 Hand 22, 23 respectively in Fig. '10 may be supplied with one and the same alternating current that is displaced 180 or less in re ation to the alternating current that is supplied to the electrodes 18 and 19, and the pairs of electrodes 24, 25 and 26, 27 respectively may be sup lied with an alternat' current which, or instance, is in phase wit the current supplied to the electrodes 18 and 19, and so on. Other combinations of multiphase currents with their phases in different rela-ions to each other may obviously be use Having now described my invention what I claim as new and desire to secure by Letters Patent is:

1. The method of treating gases by means of electric discharges, which consists in leading gases through a furnace chamber, striklectric arcs between electrodes in the said furnace connectedto an electric circuit, and mo the said arcs to electrodes of another circult for closing the latter, substantially as and for the purpose set forth.

2. The method of treating gases by means of electric discharges, which consists in leading gases through a furnace chamber, striksaid furnace connected to an electric circuit, and creating: magnetic field-in the said furnace cham r for moving the said arcs to electrodes 0% another circuit for closing the vioo .ing electric arcs between electrodes in the latter, substantially as and for the purpose set forth.

3. The method of treating gases by means ing gases through a furnace chamber, strikconsists in leading electric arcs of low intensity between electrodes in the furnace connected to an electric circuit, and moving the said arcs by means of magnetic action to electrodes of other circuits for striking arcs of higher intensity trodes, substantially as and for the purpose set forth.

between the last. mentioned elec- In testimony whereof I have signed my name to this specification in the presence. of two subscribing witn.

ALBERT JOHAN PETERSSON.

Witnesses:

. Joan Dluun, "Emu Loviur. 

